Wire-stretcher



B. WE'BB AND w. A. GARDNER.

WiRE STRETCHER.

APPLICATION nuzo get. 2. 1919.

' 1,353,365. PatentedSept. 21,1920.

' I v wwa' qs.

stares tim orrice.

Bre m AND VJILLLAM A. GARDNER, on rinn'rors, NORTH CAROLINA.

' WIRE-STRETCI-IER.

Specification of Letters Patent- Patented Sept; 21, 1920.

' Application ieacctober 2, 1913.: Serial no. 327,862.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, BARLEY WEBB and WILLIAM A. GARDNER, citizens of the United States, residing at Pinetops, in the county of Edgecombe and State of North Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in lVire-Stretchers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to devices for stretching woven and single wire fences and in fact stretching wires or cables for any purpose whatsoever where the device is applicable and one of the primary objects of the invention is to provide a device eX- tremely simple in construction and therefore inexpensive to manufacture and which may be readily set up at any point and when properly set up will be rigid and securely held in plac although devoid of complicated bracing means such as usually form a part of devices of this class.

A further object of the invention is to provide a wire stretcher so constructed that the cable connection between the winding device of the stretcher and the wire gripping means may be readily replaced if the same becomes broken without the necessity of disassembling any of the parts of the winding device.

Another object of the invention is'to provide means for connecting the said cable with the winding device in such a manner that where two or more wires or wire mesh are being stretched, the component parts of the fence will be stretched with an equal degree of tautness. I V

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure-l is a side elevation of the wire stretcher embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation thereof.

The stretcher includes a frame which is' indicated in general by the numeral 1 and this frame comprises side standards 2 arranged in parallelism and connected a suitable distance above their lower ends by cross beams 3 and at their upper ends by front and rear cross beams 4 and a top or cap beam 5. The lower end portions of the standards 2 are to be sunk or driven into the ground in the manner clearly shown in Fig. l of the drawings so as to firmly anchor the frame in an upright position prior to the stretching operation and this may be accomplished either by digging post holes to receive the said lower end portions of the standards or by striking blows upon the cap beam 50rthe-frame' if the sufficiently soft and loose.

Upon what is to constitute itsrear side when in set up position, the frameiis provided with suitable bearings 6 in which are mounted trunnions 7 provided at the ends of a windin drum 8 which may be of wood or any other suitable material and either of' integral or built up construction. This drum 8 is preferably provided near each end with a circumscribin series of sockets 9 into which may be frictionally fitted handle bars 10, the bars radiating from the drum and constituting.means-whereby the drum may be rotated in the operation of the stretcher. At this point it will be understood that the handle bars 10 may be assembled with the drum at either end thereof or, if the drum is to be rotated by two workmen, handle barsmay be provided at both ends of the drum. An anchoring stud 11 projects from the surface of the drum midway between the ends thereof and the stretching cable of the device, indicated by the numeral 12, is engaged with this anchoring stud at any suitable intermediate point in its length, the cable being free, of course, to ride about the stud soas to automatically adapt itself to conditions as will be presently explained.

The ends of the cable 12 are connected as at 13 with the clamp member of the stretcher which member comprises two clamping bars or plates ll held together by bolts 15, the fence wire or the like to be.

is first set into place at a point adjacent the postpast which the fence wire is to be I stretched and to which the saidwire is to be stapled or otherwise secured. The clamping device comprising the plates 14:

is then secured to the wire and the interme-- diate portion of the cable '12 is engaged with the stud 11 and the drum 8 is initially rotated sufficiently to slightly draw upon the stretches of the cable 12. In thus roground 1s tating the drum the cable will ride about the stud 11 until the stretches of the cable are drawn equally taut whereupon the drum is to be forcibly rotated until the wire has been stretched to the desireddegree of tautness and has been secured in place to the fence post. It Will be evident from the foregoing that the cable automatlcally adapts itself to the winding drum 8 by be ing free to ride about the stud 11 so that its stretches need not be of equal length between the clamping device and the drum in order to effect the desired results and as a consequence the two stretches are drawn equally taut so that the fence material is equally stretched at its upper I and lower portions.

Having thus described the invention,

what is claimed as new is:

' A wire stretcher comprising a frame hav ing standards the lower portions of which are unobstructed to permit of entranceinto the ground, cross beams connecting the said standards between their ends, a cap beam connecting the upper ends of the standards and providing a driving head, and stretch ing means mounted upon and'between the standards between the cross beams and the cap beam.

In testimony whereof We aflix our signatures.

BARLEY WEBB. s] WILLIAM A., GARDNER. 14.8. 

